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If a new report that has surfaced in recent days proves accurate, Apple may very well bid farewell to Intel's Infineon chips for the next generation iPhone. It's likely replacement? One from Qualcomm. According to a report from The Commercial Times, Infineon will lose it's cushy position as a provider of the baseband chip for the popular iPhone. As you may recall, Infineon's wireless unit was scooped up by Intel for a pretty penny just last month.

Apple has begun to design next year in the listing of the 5th generation iPhone, although the built-in application processor (AP) will continue to use Apple's self-developed products, but the baseband chip set suppliers are large shift.

The translated article notes that Infineon has had a strong relationship with Apple for many years, supplying the baseband chip for the iPad 3G and each and every iPhone model since it's grand debut in 2007. But with Apple supposedly looking to "monopolize assembly orders," it appears that Hon Hai Group and Foxconn will continue to manufacture the devices.

Since many others will be quick to do the same, one could argue that a switch to Qualcomm is a wise move for Apple given the longstanding rumor of carrier expansion for the Cupertino-based tech giant. With Infineon's wireless unit being far more inclusive - if not outright restrictive - the transition to Qualcomm is a sound choice for Apple - even if Apple opts to never capitalize on the opportunity for carrier diversity in the US.